HobbsDailyReport.com
R-S CENTRAL 23
SOUTH CALDWELL 14
RUTHERFORDTON – R-S Central High recovered two key fumbles in the closing three minutes on Friday night and got a long scoring run to beat visiting South Caldwell 23-14 and keep the Spartans winless.
The Hilltoppers (2-3) won via an 80-yard TD run by quarterback Jayden Waddell in the school’s first football battle since 2012.
Waddell, a junior, came into the game with nearly 500 passing yards and another 336 running the ball.
The victory was the fifth in seven meetings with the Spartans for R-S Central, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Patton, Polk County and Canton Pisgah beat the Hilltoppers by 35, 21 and 35 points, respectively after they’d opened the season by beating McDowell 20-14.
South Caldwell, still chasing the first win for Marc Kirkpatrick as head coach, starts its Northwestern 3A-4A schedule next Friday with a trip to Boone to face Watauga in a 7:30 p.m. start.